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Taiwan offers visa-free entry for Filipino citizens

Under the current policy, Taiwan has seen significant growth in visitor numbers since the nation offered visa-free entry to these Southeast Asian countries.

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image courtesy of flickr user Ken Worker

image courtesy of flickr user Ken Worker

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) - Starting on June 1, Philippine citizens will be granted visa-free access to Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced Wednesday.

The measure will allow Philippine nationals visa-exempt stays of up to 30 days, which will be implemented on a trial basis for a period of one year, from June 1, 2017 to July 31, 2018, the ministry said.

The government also extended the 30-day visa exemption for Thai and Brunei nationals to one year.

The move is to encourage more tourists from countries in South and Southeast Asia to visit Taiwan, as part of the government’s “New Southbound Policy,” which aims to forge closer trade and economic ties with South and Southeast Asian nations.

Also, the multiple-entry visa will be extended to six more nationalities, including India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos.

The nation is to gradually remove barriers and obstacles in visa procedures for these countries, including extending visa-free privileges and reducing the application time, the ministry said.

Under the current policy, Taiwan has seen significant growth in visitor numbers since the nation offered visa-free entry to these Southeast Asian countries.

In January, the number of South and Southeast Asian tourists visiting Taiwan reached 68,000, marking a year-on-year increase of 42.8 percent and the biggest growth in four years, according to government data.